Additional filter device for cigarettes with fiber filter

ABSTRACT

Additional filter device for cigarettes with fiber filter to reduce the passage of tar into the smoker’s mouth, thus reducing toxicity due to the combustion of the paper/tobacco mixture of the cigarette. Includes a laminar cylindrical body coaxially located between two sections of the cigarette fiber filter. The longitudinal middle area of the cylindrical body houses a transverse laminar disc having three holes, through which the smoke generated by the tobacco combustion and wrapping paper passes. The holes of the disc are equidistant from each other and are placed in a triangular configuration. The proximal and distal ends of the cylindrical body have annular flaps, which separate the disc from the fiber filter sections, and formed between these flaps and the disc, respective first and second air chambers where a high percentage of toxic substances contained in the smoke generated during the combustion of tobacco and wrapping paper is retained.

FIELD OF INVENTION

The present invention relates to an additional filter device forcigarettes with fiber filter, intended to reduce the passage of tar andother harmful substances into the mouth of the smoker, thus reducing thetoxicity of the smoke generated by the combustion of the paper/tobaccomixture of the cigarette.

STATE OF THE ART

As a prior art in the subject matter, it is worth mentioning, forexample, that cigarettes have been known and marketed in which thewrapping paper in the area of the fiber filter had perimeter holesintended to dilute those toxins reaching the smoker’s mouth by lettingoutside air to enter the cigarette and mixing this pure air with thesmoke generated by the combustion of paper and tobacco. However, theoriginal flavor of the cigarette was altered as the outside air modifiedthe composition of the smoke passing through the filter. In addition,and in particular, there has been no reliable evidence of a significantreduction in the amount of toxic substances entering the smoker’s mouthcompared with the amount of such substances in cigarettes without theabovementioned perimeter holes in the fibre filter area.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The object of the present invention is to provide an additionalcigarette filter device for fiber filter cigarettes, intended toconsiderably reduce the passage of tar into the mouth of the smoker andthus reduce the toxicity due to the combustion of the paper/tobaccomixture of the cigarette, the device being defined by a laminarcylindrical body coaxially located between two sections of the cigarettefiber filter. The longitudinal middle area of this cylindrical bodyhouses a transverse laminar disc having three holes, through which thesmoke generated by the combustion of tobacco and wrapping paper passes.The holes of the disc are equidistant from each other and are placed ina triangular configuration. The proximal and distal ends of thecylindrical body are provided with annular flaps, which separate saiddisc from the fiber filter sections, and being formed between theseflaps and the disc, respective first and second air chambers where ahigh percentage of toxic substances contained in the smoke generatedduring the combustion of tobacco and wrapping paper is retained.

Advantages of the Invention

Among the advantages of the present invention it should be noted that,by virtue of the structural and functional particularities of thisdevice, the harmful substances that are transported in the smoke reachthe mouth of the smoker in considerably smaller quantities than inconventional fiber filter cigarettes; the cigarette does not take airfrom the outside, so the temperature of the smoke is kept constant, thusguaranteeing the traditional taste of tobacco; and as the device isinside the fiber filter, its presence goes unnoticed by both theconsumer and third parties.

According to the measurements performed, it is estimated that the levelof toxins retained by the incorporation of the device is about 40%. Thetests consisted of observing the part of the fiber filter that contactsthe smoker’s mouth. Comparatively, in the case of a cigarette withoutthe device, after the tobacco is fully consumed, the color of the fiberfilter went from white to a brown tonality, while in a cigaretteprovided with the device of the present invention, the color of thefiber filter hardly darkened only in those sections aligned with theholes in the disc through which smoke went through. This is so because,when the smoke passes through the holes of the disc its speedaccelerates considerably, leaving much of the toxic chemical agents onthe interior walls of the device.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

For greater clarity and understanding of the present invention, it hasbeen illustrated in several figures which allow to appreciate itsstructural particularities, where:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view and partially in transparency,schematically showing the target device of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an indistinctly frontal or rear view of the device in FIG. 1 ;

FIG. 3 is a longitudinal cut view of the device illustrated in FIGS. 1and 2 ; and

FIG. 4 is a partial and longitudinal cut view of a cigarette with fiberfilter and the device of the present invention incorporated therein.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

In FIGS. 1 to 3 it can be seen that the device object of the presentinvention consists of a cylindrical laminar body 1, preferably ofsemi-rigid material, having in the interior of its longitudinally middlezone 2 a transverse laminar disc 3 which has a group of three holes 4for the passage of smoke inhaled during the combustion of paper andcigarette tobacco. The opposite ends 5 of this cylindrical body 1 arefinished in respective annular flaps 6 which, as will be seen in FIG. 4, separate the device from an anterior and a posterior section of thefiber filter and, mainly, from the disc 3 and these flaps 6 a first airchamber 7 and a second air chamber 8 are formed. Holes 4 are equidistantfrom each other and the location of each of them defines a triangulargeometric configuration, where the geometric center of the imaginarytriangle coincides with the longitudinal geometric axis of body 1.

FIG. 4 allows to clearly observe the way in which the device of thepresent invention is incorporated into a cigarette with fiber filter.Indeed, inside a cigarette 9, generically illustrated, a part of tobacco10, a first section of fibre filter 11 and a second section of fibrefilter 12 are shown, being device 1 incorporated between those sections11 and 12 of the fibre filter.

When the smoker inhales during smoking, the first chamber 7 receives thesmoke that passes through the first section of fiber filter 11, and thesecond chamber 8 receives the partially filtered smoke that passesthrough holes 4 of disc 3. When the smoke passes through holes 4 itsspeed accelerates considerably, leaving a high percentage of toxicchemical agents on the interior walls of the device, which was verifiedin the performed laboratory tests. That is, by combining air chambersfirst 7 and second 8, and holes 4 of disc 3, it is possible tosignificantly reduce the amount of toxic substances that reach thesmoker’s mouth.

With regard to the dimensions of the device, after several tests it wasdetermined that the proposed results are efficiently achieved by disc 3with a thickness of 2 mm, holes 4 with a diameter of 0.4 mm, airchambers 7 and 8 of 2.5 mm length each, and the ring flaps 6 of 1.5 mmwide. In addition, the perimeter wall of cylindrical body 1 preferablyhas a thickness of 1 mm.

Having thus specially described and determined the nature of the presentinvention and the manner in which it will be put into practice, wehereby claim the exclusive right and ownership of:

1. An additional filter device for cigarettes with fiber filter,comprising: a cylindrical laminar body (1) in which an inner mid-section(2) there is a transverse disc (3) with holes (4) for the passage of asmoke inhaled during combustion of a cigarette paper and tobacco, beingopposite ends of the cylindrical body (1) finished by respective annularflaps (6), and having between the annular flaps (6) and a disc (3)respective first and second air chambers (7;8).
 2. The filter deviceaccording to claim 1, wherein disk (3) has three equidistant holes (4)forming a triangular geometric configuration, wherein a geometric centerof the imaginary triangle coincides with a longitudinal geometric axisof the body (1).
 3. The filter device according to claim 1, whereinthese holes (4) are 0.4 mm in diameter.
 4. The filter device accordingto claim 1, wherein said first and second air chambers (7;8) have alength of 2.5 mm each.
 5. The filter device according to claim 1,wherein said annular flaps (6) have a width of 1.5 mm.
 6. The filterDevice according to claim 1, wherein the perimeter wall of thecylindrical body (1) has a thickness of 1 mm.
 7. The filter deviceaccording to claim 1, wherein said disc (3) has a thickness of 2 mm.